


To End the Blight

by TwinKats



Series: Resilliant Little Things, Aren't They [2]
Category: Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: AU, All wardens live, SO, all of them - Freeform, and awakening sort of, generic names from the game, pretty much just origins, yeah - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-30
Updated: 2014-02-18
Packaged: 2018-01-10 13:33:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1160294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwinKats/pseuds/TwinKats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Darrian Tabris found himself the dubious leader of a band of not-yet Heroes and baby Wardens on a quest to save all of Thedas. Being a Warden really wasn't all it was cracked up to be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Wardens awake after the Battle of Ostegar, and come to a decision of what they must do.

Darrian groaned and put his hand against his head as he sat up. The last he could remember he succumbed to his wounds, blearily seeing Darkspawn overrun the Tower, his team falling one by one. He shook his head to clear it; his blood sang with the fire of Darkspawn, muted, distant, less all consuming compared to when the battle raged. Perhaps the distance meant something good, but Darrian couldn't be sure. He blinked open his in time for a familiar vision of beauty push off from the wall.

"Ah, your eyes finally open," the witch breathed. "Mother shall be pleased."

"The girl from the wilds," Darrian murmured, shifting to place his feet onto the floor. "Morrigan."

"Yes," she said slowly. "You are in the wilds, where I have been bandaging your wounds, for which you are welcome, by the way."

Darrian glanced to his wrapped ribs and grimaced. "My thanks."

"And how does your memory fare?" Morrigan shifted, stepping closer to the bed. She knelt down to check the wrappings, making sure Darrian's movements hadn't undone anything. "Do you remember Mother's rescue?"

"No," Darrian shook his head and then ran a hand through his bright red hair. "I remember the darkspawn, and my fellows falling, and the ogre," he snorted at the thought of that hulking beast, "but nothing more. What rescue? And what of the army?"

Morrigan scowled, tightened her bandages against Darrian's ribs to which he grunted, and then handed him his undershirt.

"The man meant to answer your signal fire failed to do so. The darkspawn won your battle, and your king is dead. Your army was massacred."

"Flames," Darrian hissed, tugging the shirt on over his head. "The other Wardens?"

"Your friend is not taking things well," Morrigan scowled, handing Darrian his trousers. The elf tugged them up his legs and began to lace them together.

"Which friend?" Darrian questioned. "Alistair? Aedan? Natia? Lyn? How many of our number survived to your rescue?"

"All of them, I believe, that survived your Joining," Morrigan answered. "The suspicious dim-witted one and the other broad shouldered one, Alistair and Aedan I do believe? They have not taken the news well. Your dwarf and elf friend seem to be less upset by the news."

"Good," Darrian huffed, taking his armor from Morrigan's outstretched hands. He quickly buckled the supple leather into place, stashing his daggers into their sheathes along his back.

"They wait for you outside by the fire. Mother wished to speak with you when you awoke," Morrigan continued, her eyes keen and sharp. "You missed a buckle," she said afther a minute, reaching down to tighten the thing for Darrian.

"Ah, my thanks. Outside then?"

"Yes."

Darrian nodded and stood to his feet. He grunted faintly at the sharp pull in his ribs, but the pain eased away after a second.

"How did you and your mother get us all back here?" he asked curious.

"With great personal risk," Morrigan huffed. "Your human friends could do to lose some weight, and you to gain some."

Darrian shrugged, and motioned for Morrigan to lead the way.

"I will not kill you with your back turned, you know," Morrigan tsked.

"It is not that I think you'll kill me, but more that I prefer beautiful women to my front," Darrian quipped back. Morrigan laughed.

"Oh what a charmer," she said. "I think I'll stay here and make something to eat."

Darrian shook his head. "Suit yourself," he murmured, and slipped out the door after checking the locks on the chests to an amused laugh.

The sun for a moment nearly blinded him, Darrian had to raise a hand to shield his green eyes for the briefest of moments before his sight adjusted. When it did he could see Alistair staring forlornly out over the marsh, Aedan sitting of to the side listlessly toying with a string between his hands, face solemn, Natia sharpening her blades, and Lyna with her bow practically glaring at anyone who dared come close. They were all alive, and looked none the worse for wear besides a few bandages here and there.

The elder witch laughed and made motion towards the door as Darrian walked closer to the paltry group of baby Wardens.

"See?" she crowed, "Here is your fellow Grey Warden. You worry far too much." Flemeth glanced pointedly to Alistair and then to Lyn. "Why he looks to be in perfect of health."

"Baring my ribs, which still seem to be bruised," Darrian cheered as Alistair turned around. "I take it there is some you cannot heal?"

"How would you learn to dodge better if an old women healed all your wounds?" the witch countered and Darrian flashed her his teeth in response.

Alistair let out a breathy sigh of relief. "You're...alive."

"You looked like death had warmed over when I came to," Lyn snapped, pushing away from the stump she had be leaning against. She grasped his cheek and turned his face from side to side, inspecting. "Do you lack any sense of preservation, falon1? Or has living among the shemlen stripped you of more than your elvhen pride?"

"You did see the size of that Ogre didn't you Lyn?" Darrian joked, gently pushing her hands away. "I'm surprised I came out as well as I did, don't you?"

"Fool," Lyn spat. "Let the Dread Wolf take you!"

"I'm glad you care," Darrian replied just as Alistair clasped his hand about his shoulder. He had a look about his face as if he couldn't quite believe it.

"You were so pale," Alistair said. "Maker I'm glad your alive!" Alistair pulled him into a hug, which seemed to set off the rest of them. Aedan pulled himself to his feet and dragged Darrian into a hug as well, followed by Natia offering her flask which Darrian took a quick swallow of and promptly coughed at the taste.

"Hah, and the pretty elf can't handle a bit of Duster swill!" Natia crowed.

"You were the worst off of us," Aedan nodded. "We were all worried for a moment there that you wouldn't make it."

After the congratulating on their survival seemed to pass, the witch, who had stood silently off to the side, finally spoke up with a condescending laugh. "Aw isn't this sweet," she crowed, "how touching! I think you'll make me cry."

"I thank you for your help," Darrian said, turning away from his--were they friends now? It seemed like something that combat with one another did to a person, make friends. At the least comrades, Darrian settled. He turned from his comrades who circled around him, looking for all the world a leader. It almost made the witch crack a laugh again, knowing what she did. "Although we never quite got your name."

"What is in a name?" she asked. "In the wilds there is no use for names, but you can call me Flemeth if you so desire."

Lyn's eyes went wide, and she dropped into a bow with a breathed, "Asha'belannar," just as Alistair cracked a, "You're joking!" and Aedan a shocked, "The Flemeth?"

Flemeth laughed. Such a wide variety of responses, how flattering! She lifted up Lyn's head and murmured, "Oh do stand child."

"Wait does this mean that coward Daveth was right?" Natia pipped up. "She's the Witch of the Wilds?" Darrian rolled his eyes.

"What does that mean?" Flemeth countered, stepping back. "A witch of the wilds? Who came up with that fool name?" Her voice seemed teasing, laughing. "I know a bit of magic, yes, else-wise you and your friend would be dead, no? Is it such a bad thing?"

Darrian shook his head, "No, and for that I thank you, although one has to wonder why you'd save us."

"The world has need for a few Grey Wardens yet," Flemeth murmured. "There still is a Blight, is there not? The Grey Wardens duty is to unite the lands against such a thing, or has that changed when I wasn't looking?"

"She's quite right," Natia shrugged. "Isn't that what we're supposed to do?"

"But there's only five of us!" Alistair cried. "Usually there's about fifty Wardens a piece! And we we're fighting Darkspawn, remember?"

"Yeah, they quite thoroughly trounced us last I can remember," Aedan uttered. "Just when we had them on the ropes."

"It's all that foolish shem's fault!" Lyn snarled, her fists clenched tight. "Len'alas lath'din ar tu na'din. Ar tu na'lin emma mi!2" She spat onto the ground.

"Don't know what the female elf said, but I quite like the sentiment," Natia laughed. Darrian shook his head with a vicious grin.

"Something about blood and death?" he quarried and she nodded.

"But it's Loghain," Alistair interrupted. "Hero to all of Fereldan, his daughter is--was--married to the King. Why would he do this?" He sounded so broken.

Flemeth shook her head and sighed. She walked away from them, arms crossed against her chest as she did so. She imparted her wisdom carefully, well aware that this group of Wardens needed just a little push in the right direction before they'd move on their own.

"Men's hearts hold shadows darker than any tainted creature, so who knows?" she waved a hand. "Perhaps he believes the Blight is a danger he can outrun? Perhaps he cannot see that the source behind it is the true threat."

"The Archdemon," Alistair said grimly.

"The what?" Darrian asked, shifting to look at Alistair. The rest of the new Warden recruits turned to the older Warden, all curious.

"Ah, Duncan didn't say?" Alistair laughed nervously. "I honestly thought he would have said..."

"What is this Archdemon, and what does it have to do with the Blight?" Darrian asked. Alistair sighed.

"It's bad, very, very bad," Alistair muttered.

Aedan stepped forward, a frown on his face as he spoke up, "Look very bad archdemon or no, it's obvious Loghain has lost his mind if he thinks the darkspawn aren't a threat. We need to forewarn all of Fereldan of this."

"And how do you propose we do that Aedan? Loghain killed Cailan! Our king!" Alistair cried.

"Then what do you propose we do, shem?" Lyna snapped back. "Not seek revenge? Not oust the fool from his gilded seat of naivety? Leave the world to burn?"

"We're Grey Wardens aren't we?" Natia pitched in. "Does that not make this our duty to do? Come salroka, wallowing gets us nowhere!"

"If Arl Eamon knew what Loghain did he'd be the first to cry his execution!" Alistair said back. "There's nothing you nor I nor anyone can do without the support of the Bannorn and the Teynir and judging by our luck no one will believe a word we say!"

Darrian frowned and ran his hands through his hair thoughtfully, stepping away from the group to pace. "Arl Eamon, he's the Arl of Redcliffe right?" he asked. Alistair nodded. "And you say we need the support of the Bannorn and the Teynir to stop this injustice?"

"To do so is to invite civil war," Aedan interrupted. "Civil war will not help us against the Blight, it'll just make us weaker!"

"Then you suggest we let the fool live?" snarled Lyn.

"No, I don't mean that I just...it'll make our position worse," Aedan said through gritted teeth.

Darrian scrubbed his hands over his face and then held them up to silence the bickering that had begun, "Look! Alistair, will Arl Eamon help us? Is it worth heading to Redcliffe?"

Alistair frowned, and then scratched his cheek in thought. "I suppose it might. I mean Arl Eamon wasn't at Ostegar, which means he's still got all of his men. And he was Cailan's uncle." He got more passionate as he spoke. "I know him, he's a good man, and he's got pull in the Landsmeet. We could go to him for help! I'm sure he'll listen!"

Aedan likewise frowned, also in thought, but then nodded. "Alistair is right. I remember Eamon from the few times he interacted with Father. He's a good man."

"What good will a few shems do us?" Lyn demanded. "Against a Blight? We saw what happened at Ostegar with that! Don't we have anything else to do aside from shems for help?"

"The treaties," Natia spoke up. "We didn't lose those did we? Who had them on hand?"

Darrian checked through his pockets, and then pulled out the rolled up papers. He flicked through them for a moment, and then stuffed them back away once assured they weren't be damaged. "These promise help for a Blight, right? From the Dalish and Orzammar?"

"And the Circle Tower," Alistair pointed out. "In case of a Blight we have the right to call upon our allies to create an army to combat the darkspawn. From Magi, to Dalish, to dwarves, and the kingdoms of men."

"It'd take a fair bit of traveling, perhaps longer than we can even afford, but it's our best chance," Darrian said decisively.

Flemeth laughed. "You are set on your course then? Ready to be the Grey Wardens you were chosen to be?" She was met with silence and hard stares and laughed even harder. "Very well! Now before you go I have yet one last thing to offer you, yes, yes, aside from what little healing I have already done."

Alistair's mouth clicked shut and Morrigan finally stepped out of the hut, dusting her hands off..

"Mother," she called, "the stew is ready. All that remains is if we will be having five guests for the eve, or none?"

Flemeth chuckled, "None, you silly girl. The Grey Wardens are leaving shortly, and you will be joining them."

Morrigan sighed, glancing at Darrian through her lashes as she said, "Such a pity. I had hoped--" Her head jerked back round, eyes snapping open wide, "Wait, what did you just say?"

"You heard me girl!" Flemeth laughed. "Last I looked you had ears did you not?"

A round of protests from Alistair and Aedan rose up. Lyn and Natia began to raise their own voices, for Morrigan to join them, while Darrian sighed and put his fingers to his mouth, releasing a sharp whistle sound. The group quieted instantly.

"Let us hear what they have to say," Darrian said softly. There were faint murmurs and resentful agreements that followed him.

"Her magic will be useful," Flemeth continued quickly, "and she knows these wilds well. She'll be able to get you past the horde."

"Have I no say in this?" Morrigan snapped.

"Oh don't be so foolish, dear," Flemeth shook her head. "You have been itching to be out of the wilds for years, and here is your chance. As for the Wardens, consider this repayment for my saving your lives, hm?"

"Won't this just add to our problems?" Alistair questioned. "Out of the wilds, she is an apostate."

"We're Grey Wardens," Darrian interjected. "Does that not mean that our traveling companions then are our choice, and the Chantry has no say in them? Elsewise outside of these wilds I am a criminal."

"Green Eyes' right, stud," Natia nodded, slapping Alistair on his ass which earned her a yelp of surprise. "Back in Orzammar I'd be a criminal too. So what does it matter what anyone else thinks? They have no control over us."

"The Wardens are meant to be neutral," Aedan added in reluctantly.

"Yes, yes," Flemeth began sharply, "if you don't want help from us illegal mages then perhaps I should have left  you upon that tower, no?"

Alistair grit his teeth and ground out, "Point taken," before turning away from the group.

"No! Point not taken," Morrigan interrupted. "Mother this is not how I wanted this, I'm not ready--'"

"You must be ready girl," Flemeth said back. "Alone these five must unite all of Fereldan against the Blight, or else all will perish under it. Even I." They exchanged looks, and something, some unspoken thing, passed between the two women with glowing golden eyes. Eventually Morrigan turned away.

"I...I understand, Mother," Morrigan sighed. "You are right. I will go with the Wardens. Let me, let me just gather my things, then."

That, it seemed, was the end of that. Darrian glanced at his four fellow wardens, and then at Morrigan's back. It looked like this was it, their rag-tag little gang of baby Wardens and an apostate Mage, off against the world that would probably more than likely try to kill them instead of unite. A fools hope and a fools chance, but for now it would have to do. It was the best they were going to get after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 _falon_ \- literally friend
> 
> 2 _Len'alas lath'din ar tu na'din. Ar tu na'lin emma mi_ \-- first sentence is two threats / insults merged together "dirty child no one loves" and "i will kill you" -- second sentence is a threat "I will see your blood on my blade"
> 
> Both elven words / phrases are taken from the DA wiki


	2. On The Path To Lothering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morrigan leads to Wardens out of the Wilds, and gives them a bit of a geography lesson as she does so.

Out in the Wilds, Darrian motioned towards Lyn to take the rear with Aedan. A few quick hand gestures that his Mother had taught him informed Lyn to prepare her bow, a beautifully crafted work of ironbark. Lyn nodded back and unhooked one of her bows restraints. Aedan saw the motion and prepared a crossbow hooked at his waist.

"Alistair, Natia," Darrian motioned towards either side and just ahead of Lyn and Aedan.

Morrigan raised an eyebrow in surprise at the sudden burst of tactics.

"Where did you learn this, I wonder?" she asked. Darrien shot her a roguish grin and scratched the edge of his cheek. "Alright, keep your secrets, but be careful. The Wilds are not for everyone."

They walked for hours, trucking through the marsh and muck. They walked in silence, Alistair and Aedan mourning their loss, even Darrian felt the losses more keenly than Lyn or Natia. Midday came and passed and still they moved on. Nobody stopped to eat. They needed to be ahead of the darkspawn, to stay in front of the hoard even if merely by hours. After a while Darrian, Natia, and Alistair started to hack down stray branches in their way, using the knives hooked to their belts as the forest grew thick and wild.

"I recognize these trees," Lyn murmured. Morrigan glanced back at her, lips curling slightly.

"I am not so surprised that you might recognize these woods," she said after a minute. "Mother's hut does not reside deep in the south, for if 'twas so we would already be overrun by Darkspawn like most of the Chasind tribes. It is the South these fell creatures came from, is it not?"

"So those nug-shit-for-brains scouts implied," Natia agreed. Darrien tilted his head, a bit surprised at the thought that Flemeth's hut happened to be placed further north than Ostegar.

"I thought the Wilds contained all of the lands to the south, named as such for their nature and the Chasind who live within," Darrien interceded.

"And for the most part you would be correct," Morrigan nodded, gingering stepping over a root. "However the Wilds encompass more than just the swamps and forest to the south, but also much of the land to the northeast as well. Their borders end in the Brecilian Forest, where most of the Dalish clans like to travel. Mother's hut sits between the transition of Wilds to Forest, and the Chasind tribes of the South. As such I wouldn't be surprised if your Dalish Warden's clan happened to take up home in the Wilds at least once during her years."

"Yes," Lyn said after a minute. "These where the trees..." she trained off, a small reminiscing smile on her face.

"Then how where does Lothering sit in all these?" Darrian asked, remembering the route that Duncan had taken them along well. They'd stopped in the Brecilian Forest before heading Southwest into Lothering, and then straight South towards Ostegar. It had taken about a week of travel from the Sabrae clan's location to get to Lothering, and another three days to reach Ostegar.

"We are two days walk east of Lothering," Morrigan stated. "At least a day and a half's ahead of the horde, if the darkspawn choose to attack every outlying village-and-settlement along the Highway."

Darrian hacked down a stray vine and tilted his head in Morrigan's direction, "How far from the Highway?"

"Half a day now," Morrigan said, and then halted to a stop. Darrien held his hand up, closed fisted as a sign to hold. The group stopped and Morrigan drew her magic around herself. "Be still, I need to check upon something," she said before shifting into a large spider and leaping into the trees.

Alistair and Aedan reacted the strongest at the sudden surge of magic, each grasping their chosen weapon and nearly drawing them forth in an attack. Darrian could feel the faint hum of lyrium surging through Alistair, and shot the elder Warden a look.

"Sorry," Alistair mumbled, and the hum faded away. "Reflex."

"She won't attack, stud," Natia laughed.

"How do you know?" Aedan questioned, and here Darrian intervened with a calming gesture.

"I'm a good judge of character, Aedan," he said calmly. "Without such a skill I would have been long dead before I met you."

The two stared off for the briefest of moments, bright wide green elf eyes eyes sharp against the bright near lyrium blue of their human counterparts, but Aedan backed down. A second later a spider came climbing down the tree and everyone tensed again until it changed back into Morrigan.

"'Tis as I feared," she said after a minute, clutching her staff tightly. "We are heading right into a wolves den. Unless you wish to do combat, we shall have to move around. Further the sky grows dark, and the Wilds are even less safe to traverse at night than during the day."

"Get me in a tree and I can pick off the majority of the wolves," Lyn said, tugging her bow in front of her and stepping foward. "If you could spare some of your magic, between the two of us this den could be cleared within the hour."

Aedan hesitated for a second and hefted the crossbow tied at his waist with a nod, silently offering his services as well.

"The rest of us would be useless in a long range fight," Darrian murmured, then called, "Natia, can you climb?"

"Are you sure I won't fall into the sky?" Natia snapped back, shifting from foot to foot. "My feet on the ground must surely be the only reason why I have yet to land among the clouds." Her eyes darted about the forest, never lingering on one place too long.

"Fall into the sky? What utter nonsense," Alistair muttered but Darrian shook his head with a sigh.

"Make your decision with haste," Morrigan didn't quite plead, but her voice held a bit of urgency to it. "The longer we debate, the quicker our chances of surprise, or our ability to get away, wanes."

"Everyone, into the trees."

The order came sharp as a whip and without further prompting Lyn took to the branches like they were home, swinging up with nary an issue. Aedan lumbered up into them with a grimace although making less of a racket than Natia who needed both Alistair and Darrian to help her get high enough that they could avoid the wolves. Morrigan needed no help, and almost as smoothly as Lyn, climbed up and lead the way forward from branch to branch.

From there Aedan, Morrigan, and Lyn took short work of the wolves. Aedan readied and lined his crossbow a slow and steady motion of tugging a bolt out of its case at his waist, notching it into the chamber, and pulling the wire back before releasing the latch onto his current target. Lyn fired swift and quick, nailing wolves in the softness of their neck, or hindquarters before going in for the killing blow. Morrigan tossed balls of frost and spears of ice, the cold tearing through the thick hives of the wolves below until all that remained were twenty or so dead carcasses littering a cave.

After a second of two sets of golden eyes peering down into the pseudo-clearing below Morrgain tugged the Fade around her skin and changed into the form of a wolf. She leaped and bound down branches to scout the den, to assure that no more would be appear from the bushes. A second later, once more herself, Morrigan stepped out of the cave.

"'Tis safe now, and I daresay a perfect spot to set camp for the night. I do hope everyone has nothing against wolf for dinner?" She had this little, almost cheeky grin on her face as the group made their way down from the tree branches.

Lyn immediately took to skinning and preparing the wolves for a meal. Aedan moved to gather dry wood for a fire in the cave setting under Morrigan's watchful eye. Alistair carted their packs into the den itself to set up makeshift tents and bedrolls. Darrian slipped down from his own branches to lay out traps for any creatures that thought to attack in the night, laying a tight perimeter around the wolves den.

Natia, not-quite trembling but certainly out of her depth, tried to get down like the others, this time outright refusing help. She ended up tumbling from the branches, crashing through the bushes and branches and thorns, and rolling out of the mess scratched with her short hair littered with leaves, thorns, and small sticks. She huffed, but otherwise unharmed.

"Much prefer the ground, Green Eye's, thanks," she shot to Darrian who chuckled lightly.

"I can see that," he teased back. "Help Lyn, would you?"

Natia joined Lyn in skinning and preparing the wolf meat for stew.

* * *

They made better time than Morrigan predicted, reaching the Imperial Highway midday the next day. It appeared that they were, for now, ahead of the hoard, and it would be another few hours until Lothering by Morrigan's estimate.

"Although being perfectly honest," Morrigain said out of the side of her mouth towards Darrian, glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes as they trouped onwards, "I've only made the trip as a wolf before."

Darrian chuckled. "Sounds like fun, able to switch forms at will?"

"'Tis fun in its own way, to see through the eyes of the creatures we share a world with," Morrigan nodded. "Why 'tis interesting to hold the senses of a wolf, or spin a web with the spiders, or even to--is something wrong?"

Darrian held up his fist, a sign to hold, his face pinched. He glanced to Alistair and his fellow Wardens.

"I feel it to," Alistair said after a second, tugging his shield off his back and loosening his sword from its sheath. The rest of the Wardens took to his example, pulling their weapons free from their holdings. Morrigan readied her staff, ever curious.

"Is it Darkspawn?" she asked.

"Either that or other Wardens," Lyn said stiffly. They kept their eyes about, scanning and searching, until they heard a rather loud set of barks and the sound of feet pounding against the earth. In tandem the party turned, Lyn quickly falling back with Morrigan, an arrow already notched to her bow. Aedan and Alistair twirled and readied their blades, standing towards the front with shields up. Natia and Darrian pulled out their daggers and crouched low, almost blurring out of visible sight.

Two Mabari raced down the road, Aedan's eyes snapped wide at the warpaint upon one of them.

"Crunch!" he cried out. Behind the Mabari stormed a group of ten Darkspawn, three Hurlocks and seven Genlocks, four of which appeared to be arches.

Darrian, hidden from sight, tapped Alistair and Aedan's shoulders once, hissed a sharp, "Go," and almost immediately the two Warriors charged with identicle warcry's.

Morrigain twirled her staff and tossed out a wave of frost and fire at the Hurlock's, Lyn rapidly taking aim and releasing arrow after arrow at the Genlock arches in the back, her eyes narrowed in concentration. Alistair engaged one Hurlock in the lead, bashing his shield against the beast, Aedan doing the same to another Hurlock mere feet away. Natia suddenly emerged back into visibility, daggers stabbed into the small of another Hurlock's back while Darrian shifted back, twirling his blades in a dance of death right in the middle of the Genlocks only to disappear a second later with a back flip and a laugh.

Both Crunch, and the other Mabari, growled and launched at the darkspawn, turning around with snarls and vicious teeth. Alistair raised his shield, grunted as the ax of the Hurlock he was fighting bared down and nearly snapped the wood in two. He pushed back, swung his blade, and got the hulking beast in the jugular. Next second he kicked out, and stabbed his blade through the beasts heart and moved on.

Aedan let out a yell, knocked back by his own combatant. He went flying, crashing into the ground with a sharp grunt. The Hurlock yelled and jumped, and a second later Natia disappeared and reappeared underneath the creature, blades shoved up into its gut. She went crashing down with the Hurlock atop of her, an arrow pierced through its skull a second later. She grunted, tossed the thing off her, and nodded her thanks to Lyn. Aedan got back up and leaped back into the fray as Natia disappeared, reappearing feet away in time to take off a Genlock's head.

Three archers went down in the back, cut through by Darrian. Morrigain froze another two Genlocks in time for Alistair to shatter them, Aedan moving to take down the other Hurlock who struggled against the arrows pinning him in place. A quick slash of his sword took of the beasts head. Crunch tore out the throat of another Genlock, with his companion tearing a gash into another's leg.

The combat was over within five minutes, leaving behind ten dead Darkspawn and two heavily bruised Warden's. Alistair grunted, his wrist throbbing as he shoved his sword back into its sheath and tied his shield at his back. Aedan winced as he did the same, one hand wrapping around the armor of his chest as he did so. Lyn and Morrigan were the best of the lot, with Natia and Darrian following close behind although Darrian's ribs were burning something unholy and Natia had a pronounced limp and a gash across her face.

"Lyn, poultices?" Darrian questioned, sinking to the ground with a wheeze. Lyn tugged the pack off her back and pulled it open. She pulled out three bottles and then re-shouldered the pack, stepping over to Aedan and Alistair first, offering them a bottle each.

"Elfroot," she said tersely, stepping around the Mabari who panted happily. Crunch raced up to Aedan, barking and prancing about happily. Aedan sank to his knees after taking the bottle. He didn't drink it yet, instead setting it on the road to scratch at the scruff of the dogs neck with a pained laugh.

"I thought I'd lost you, boy," he chuckled.

Alistair took the bottle from Lyn without complaint, biting the cork and pulling it out. He spat it at the ground and downed the potion thankfully, letting out a sigh of relief as his aches disappeared. The second Mabari approached Darrian, barking happily like Crunch, then whining and reaching up to nuzzle against Darrian's side. His big eyes were wide, shimmering, and concerned.

Lyn handed the third bottle to Natia who uncorked it, took a sip, re-corked it, and handed it back with a grin and a, "Thanks Ebony." Lyn then turned to Darrian. She eyed the dog warily as she knelt down, offering the bottle to her fellow elf. Darrian took it without word, pulling off the cork with his teeth like Alistair. He let out a grunt as he did so, spitting the cork into his lap, before he downed the rest of the potion with a groan and a sigh. He handed the bottle back to Lyn, then picked up the cork and handed it over too before reaching out to scratch the Mabari's ear.

"Ma serannas, lethallin1," Darrian murmured, the elvhen words thick on his tongue. He figured he might have butchered some of them, especially given Lyn's half quirked lips and amused gaze.

"Lethallan,2" she corrected. "Sulahn'nehn, falon. El sulahn'nehn. Sahlin solas an vhen'alas dar enansal. Banalhan ena'en ir in sa'vunin. Hamin, lethallin. Na elgaren vir eth Fen'harel.3"

"I'm afraid that's more elvhen than I can comprehend," Darrian murmured. Lyn snorted.

"Elvhen'alas,4" she said, although the quirk of her lips and the soft hint of laughter in her voice took the bite from the insult.

"Now that I do know," Darrian replied and stood to his feet. Lyn went around and collected each of the empty bottles, and then checked over the Mabari for any wounds or signs of distress. She looked mildly disturbed by the dogs, however none more so than Morrigan whose lips curled up in disgust.

"These...beasts led the darkspawn right to us," she said, eyeing both Mabari with distaste.

"Crunch was looking for me," Aedan smiled. "Such a good boy. You knew right where I'd be didn't you, knew right where to look..."

"Looks like that ones imprinted on you, Darrian," Alistair said, stepping over to the red haired pale elf. Darrian glanced back at him.

"Really?" he quarried. "That's kind of cool. Always wanted a Mabari, but then no elf has the coin to buy one. Most shemlen think it'd be a waste of a good hound to even let an elf purchase one if they had the coin." He reached down and scratched the dogs ear.

"What are you going to name him?" Alistair asked, likewise kneeling down to give the dog a good rub with a smile. It happened to be the first smile from the elder Warden since Ostegar.

"Dunno, any ideas?"

"Barkspawn," Natia inputted with a chuckle. "Since it barked and the 'spawn showed up."

"More like it led them to us with all that racket," Morrgain sniffed. "I say we should leave it. Leave them both."

"They're imprinted," Aedan pointed out. "They'll follow even if we leave them behind."

Lyn eyed the two, then said slowly, "The Dalish have seen and heard tales of the Mabari. They are prized like Halla to the Dalish among the shemlen, and make even greater fighting companions. They'll be useful, as we've seen."

Morrigan threw her hands up with a huff and started walking with a sharp, "Fine!" Darrian winced.

"I think we pissed her off," Alistair said under his breath. "Never a good idea to piss of a Witch." Lyn chuckled.

"Or a Keeper," she added. "Creators know how terrified we all were of pissing off Marethari, never mind that we ended up doing so anyway despite our attempts to keep her pacified."

"She turn you into toads?" Alistair asked, head perking up as the group started to follow after Morrigan rather slowly.

"No, but she had this look about her that made your insides turn to jelly. Mythal knows Merrill out of us was more terrified of that look than when she started lecturing, and trust me the Keeper was always lecturing. I swear  we could never live up to her expectations sometimes. Why Tamlen--" Lyn broke off suddenly, her face pinching at the name. "Never mind," she said, pushing forward to walk by Morrigain ahead of the group, posture suddenly stiff.

"Was it something I said?" Alistair asked, but Darrian shook his head.

"No," he sad with a sigh. "Tamlen was a friend of hers; when Duncan, Natia, Aedan and I arrived she'd been tainted...."

"Her first concern was for this Tamlen, but we didn't see any other elf but her," Aedan inputted.

"It sounded like the both of them went and did something foolish, and it killed the boy," Natia nodded. "Ebony blames herself. Claims she should have insisted they go back to their Keeper."

"It is better if she feels up to explaining what happened herself," Darrian said with a shake of his head. "We only know a small part of the story, and it is hers to tell."

Alistair nodded, "Right."

They fell back into formation, Lyn tense and glaring at all of them even if they attempted to approach her. The rest of the walk to Lothering remained in silence.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 _Ma serannas, lethallin_ \- My thanks, cousin. -- Lethallin masculine version of the word, actual meaning is a bit closer than friend.
> 
> 2 _Lethallan_ \- Friend/Clansmen/Cousin -- feminine version of the world -- Lyn is correcting Darrian's use of Lethallan/Lethallin in this case
> 
> 3 _Sulahn'nehn, falon. El sulahn'nehn. Sahlin solas an vhen'alas dar enansal. Banalhan ena'en ir in sa'vunin. Hamin, lethallin. Na elgaren vir eth Fen'harel._ \-- roughly "rejoice, friend. Our joy. In this moment stand tall on our earth (and) be blessed. The Blight emerges more with a single day. Rest, cousin. Your spirits path safe (from) the Dread Wolf."
> 
> 4 _Elvhen'alas_ \-- dirt elves  
>  Grammar is probably wrong (if anyone knows DA elven a lot better than me piecing together random words I'd appreciate it!) Mostly I took words and attempted to form sentences, some words are missing and those are marked with ( ) All words taken from the DA Wiki.


End file.
